EPC at the Department of Geology,
UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER (UK)

BOREHOLE RESEARCH, based at the UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER, has been involved with the ODP (Ocean Drilling Program) and IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) since 1989. It is internationally recognised for the measurement and interpretation of the physics and chemistry of rocks and fluids on a variety of scales.

Leicester is the lead member of the European Petrophysics Consortium (EPC: Aachen, Montpellier and Leicester), and is responsible for the management of the consortium and representing EPC within the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) Science Operator and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP). The team at Leicester is lead by a full-time academic staff member, Dr Sarah Davies with research associates, Dr. Jenny Inwood and Dr. Louise Anderson and an administrator, Mr Simon Draper.

The team provides the logging and petrophysical expertise for and participates in IODP expeditions for the non-riser platform, the Joides Resolution, and Mission Specific Platform (MSP) expeditions. We are responsible for the acquisition and scientific interpretation of core and borehole measurements, the production of written reports and the development of associated research programmes. The team advises the Expedition Science Party on logging, pre-expedition planning, shipboard acquisition and data distribution, post-expedition reporting and the scientific analysis and interpretation of the petrophysical data.

Leicester owns and deploys a Geotek Multi-Sensor Core Logger (MSCL) for core analysis on MSP expeditions (sensors: Gamma Density, Magnetic Susceptibility, Sonic Velocity and Resistivity).

IODP Researchers at Leicester provide training to scientists in MSCL core analysis to successfully provide expertise on Mission Specific Platform (MSP) expeditions. MSP petrophysics and logging operations are tailored to an expedition’s scientific requirements on an expedition by expedition basis.

Offshore, as members of the the ECORD Science Operator, IODP Research Associates manage borehole geophysics measurements downhole and on recovered core and interface with the onboard science party (in particular the Co-Chiefs), logging engineers and operations manager. Subsequent to the IODP one year moratorium period, Leicester liaises with the Borehole Research Group at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory to process and format MSP logging data for entry into the IODP logging database.

Post-expedition, researchers use the range of petrophysical data including borehole wall geophysical images recorded with Schlumberger (FMS, FMI, UBI) or ALT (OBI, ABI) sensors, digital core images and logging measurements to undertake research using the logging data. For this dedicated work stations are equipped with GEOFRAME, WELLCAD, COREWALL and INTERACTIVE PETROPHYSICS software packages.

Visiting scientists using IODP logging data for their research can visit our facilities to use these workstations and collaborate with researchers from the group.

We represent the ECORD Science Operator on a number of IODP panels, including the Science and Technology Panel (STP) and the Science Steering Evaluation Panel (SSEP).


Research focus

The team at Leicester have wide ranging skills and expertise within the broader areas of: petrophysics and physical properties, sedimentology, sedimentary geochemistry, ocean floor generation, palaeomagnetics and biomineralisation in extreme environments. The team’s research interests cover the key areas of the IODP Initial Science Plan including: (1) the deep biosphere and the subseafloor; (2) environmental change, processes and effects and (3) solid earth cycles and geodynamics.

The group undertakes data analysis and interpretation using petrophysical, microstructural and geochemical techniques. This has included investigation of: the structure of oceanic crust (Ocean Core Complexes), lithofacies through accretionary prisms, core, logging and drilling integration in modern reefal carbonates.

Subsequent to each expedition on which a member of the Leicester Borehole Group participates, follow-up research is carried out. For example, research carried out subsequent to the Tahiti MSP expedition focussed on Core-Log integration. This technique is invaluable as material is often lost during the coring operation and sediments expand when recovered from the deep ocean and allows an improved estimate of true core recovery and a more accurate depth to be assigned to the cores (e.g. Inwood et al., 2008). Following Expedition 312 work on physical properties, wireline logs and vertical seismic profiles (VSP) from Hole 1256D have produced important findings on porosity and its’ inverse relationship to velocity in upper ocean crust (Swift et al., 2008).

Please see personal research pages for further information.

Scientific approach

The team provides services in petrophysical techniques (both on- and offshore). The log interpretation centre at Leicester has developed over 20 years and researchers can use a range of software packages to optimise the evaluation and interpretation of downhole logging data and facilitate core-log integration. The group is supported by number of discrete laboratories within the department (e.g. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and SEM (with attached x-ray micro-analyser)) and the CALLISTO log calibration facility to aid interpretation of petrophysical data.

This enables:
- Investigation over a large range of scales.
- Comprehensive analysis of wireline and core data.
-Effective intra-department collaboration.

Scientific topics
- Gas hydrate formation
- Hydrocarbon reservoir characterisation
- Development of novel measurement and imaging techniques - including bio-inspired acoustics

Research projects
NERC IODP Post-Cruise Support Grant 2008: Lithostratigraphy determination and characteristics from logging while drilling data: NanTroSEIZE IODP expedition 314. (Mike Lovell, Sarah Davies  and Joanne Tudge)

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